Today is Father’s Day, and yesterday I thought of the perfect song to use for today. I didn’t write it down and of course today I can’t remember what I wanted to use. Instead I will use one from The Judds. We would listen to that Judds tape for hours on end. The song I am using is one that fits James right now. “Grandpa, tell me ‘bout the good old days…families really bowed their heads to pray, Daddies really never went away…” That is the type of father and grandfather he was, is and always will be. His father was the same way, and so are the others in the family even down to the grandsons.

James told me that before we were married, and we were in our mid 20s, not just young punks out of high school, his father sat him down and told him how a man treats his wife and children. I guess he took that to heart. I know that he wishes that he would have the chance to give that same speech, but since we only have daughters, he doesn’t feel too comfortable telling that to the one entering the family. Maybe it would be a good idea. I sometimes think that if a young man knew that the girl’s father was the type to sit on the porch cleaning his gun until the girl was brought home safe and sound, young girls would be treated in a more respectable manner. Perhaps those girls would treat themselves with a bit more respect too.

We did not have much of a celebration for James. He and I and Paulina went to Mobridge to church and had lunch at the new Subway there. Jessica called to wish him a Happy Father’s Day, and he and Victoria texted. She is in Medora, ND where Nate is living with his uncle. Today he had off and they toured the Chateau de Moria and tonight they are going to the musical. I bet they are having a great time. Medora is where James and I spent our honeymoon, so we have some good memories of that place.

Anyway thinking about this, plus a day at a Sunday service again, has brought me back to where I think that I need to be. I realize this blog should be about Fathers since it is Fathers Day, but today helps me see more and more where I should be. So many of the ladies in church were asking, what are you going to do now that you are back in South Dakota? What job will you have? I think that with the husband I have, and him being nearly at retirement from teaching, perhaps it is time to follow the career path I maybe should have gone on in the beginning.

I think that I need to get in touch with the South Dakota Conference and see where they are in terms of lay ministers taking more training to get on board. Like one of the church members told me last summer, there are going to be openings coming in the future, and we need to have people in place to start filling those pulpits. I would love doing that with James to work with me. I could just see him doing the marriage meeting thing with young couples.

Wow, thanks for listening here. I think this would make much more sense than some other things I have been thinking of doing. I guess a decision like this will take some prayer and well I guess that is about all it should involve besides maybe some quiet listen for an answer. I don’t want to be like the drowning man who ignores the life rings and the person in the boat while waiting for God to save him. Perhaps for me it is the ability to recognize the answer rather than wondering what to do.

In the meantime, I will tell you that I took this day to rest. I finally to a Sunday to have a nap after lunch and just enjoy the day. The only work that I did was not work at all. I filled the two planters that I bought at the auction sale with some plants I picked up today after church. The metal egg pail has a white geranium and blue lobelia, the clay pot has a salmon colored geranium and white alyssum. I think they will be very pretty, and I left just enough space to fit the square egg crate in that row, if I decide to let it outside.

Begonias

Geraniums in new pots

I also have to plant the begonias that I bought today, but I am out of potting soil, so that will have to wait until I get back from Bismarck and getting Glenda from the airport. I haven’t had begonias in several years, so this should be fun. I will pick up two bags of potting soil because I realized that the city-wide rummage sale is this coming Saturday, and I want to have lots of plants ready for the sale. Yikes!!